Ashok Gehlot stresses on long-term planning for state's progress
Terming unemployment of educated people as a big challenge, Gehlot said protecting their interests should also be a subject of consideration.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has identified infrastructure building, effective utilisation of funds and percolation of benefits of various schemes to the poor as top priorities of his government.Chairing the first meeting of newly-constituted state planning board here on Saturday, he stressed the need for long-term planning and said the government would ensure effective implementation of the board recommendations.The chief minister directed the officials to prepare its policies by focussing on uniform development of all districts of the state."For balanced growth, it is necessary that the planning board prepares a solid data base after analysing innovative and important schemes taken up by other states." "The priorities of the state should be fixed after studying the national standard, position of other states in infrastructural development, social security and other issues. We should compare ourselves with them so that we can know where we stand," Gehlot said.The intention to set up the state planning board was to discuss opinion of experts on matters regarding progress of the state and to give development measures a new direction, he said, adding the board would hold meeting every three months to review projects.Terming unemployment of educated people as a big challenge, Gehlot said protecting their interests should also be a subject of consideration. He asked the officials to lay focus on drinking water, agriculture, health & social security besides giving shape to special schemes for ST/ST,OBC, monitories and for women.(More) PTI HKSKKE02211513NNNNGEHLOT 2 LSTZCZCPRI ECO ESPL NAT NRG.JAIPUR DES64GEHLOT 2 LST Gehlot said the Board should prepare strategies in such away that it could ascertain that common man is directly linkedwith the development. "The fruits of Central and State government schemesshould reach to the poor, particularly those standing at thetail end of the economic ladder," the chief minister said. Gehlot noted that timely elections to Panchayati Rajinstitutions and local bodies have paved way for theirempowerment but said more needs to be done. He said the state government has reconstituted severalbodies like Mission for Population & Health, Mission forSocial Security, Mission for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry,Mission for Education & Literacy and Mission for WaterConservation & Development for their effective functioning.PTI HKSKKE02211514NNNN